Portillo’s steals Noodles exec to serve as second CEO

Portillo’s Hot Dogs, the 39-restaurant group for which a private-equity firm reputedly paid $1 billion, has named a new CEO: former Noodles & Company President and COO Keith Kinsey.

Kinsey succeeds the only other CEO in Portillo’s history, founder Dick Portillo. Berkshire Partners, the Boston-based firm that bought the family-run business from Portillo, said the family elder will remain involved, though the capacity was not revealed.

Noodles & Company simultaneously announced Kinsey’s departure after eight years with the fast-casual chain. His successor was not named.

Portillo’s biggest brand is its namesake, whose hot dogs are a cult favorite in the Chicago area.

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